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300H&H
04-15-2008, 08:00 PM
Opening day. Who went out ? Did ya get yur bird ?

I went out. Up at 3:15am. Grabbed my gear & gun, and off to Tim Hortons to fuel up. No donuts yet, the lady said they won't be ready untill 5am. No problem I'll chew on some bark from a pine tree when I get there.
About 15 min out of town I think to myself "self...did you remember the key for the lock on the shotgun ?". Best pull over. Yup got them. Which one is the right one. Its small and silver. No small silver key. Must be blind look again. No FREAKIN key. Think again to self " you dumb sh_t". turn back to town. No longer driveing, now flying down Hwy. Back in town & almost home. Think again to self "hey...bone head look again". Pull over. Two keys stuck together. Think its not a good idea to store keys & gum in same pocket. Turn back. Now going sub-sonic up Hwy. Pass RCMP car. He no care.
35 Min detour, not the way to start turkey day. Get into my hot spot late. No turkeys calling. Last year they were non stop pluck/gobble/cluck. Go in bush do my best to sound like a desperate hen. Finally a answer. Two toms to my right & two off to my left. Which to shoot ? Easy...the first one, duhh. Turkeys are coming fast to my left. Im ready !!! LOOK, 2 HUGE TOMS IN FULL STRUT. Ummm turkey for supper. I can see the red/blue heads & full fan tails. BUT...they stay just inside the bushes at 60 yards and will not come to the LOVE TRIANGLE (by Featherflex). No good shot here, I'll wait. Think to self "you should have been here earlier".
I try setting up & have them come in but it didn't work. did see lots of deer and found a big 5 point whitetail shed. Had some chews on it. Damn squirrls.

Moral of this story..."go to Save On Foods, the turkeys are easyer to get".
Just dont shoot them in the store. Wife will be happy you brought home food. But if asked why it is frozen tell her it was very cold out. :shock:

boxhitch
04-15-2008, 09:50 PM
Good times, 3. Thanks for the update, its been on my mind to head out, but figured too early for struttin action.

mark
04-15-2008, 10:37 PM
Opening day is the best!!! You should of just kept on calling, it took me 45 minutes to coax mine into range last year. Im heading out friday morn for 3 days if necessary!

Brambles
04-15-2008, 10:43 PM
Sounds like you had a hell of a time, congrats, it will pay off.

I think I might head out Thurday Night and roost a tom, tent it out overnight and perhaps kill it on Friday.

If he's big enough and I can catch it on tape with my bow that is....

300H&H
04-16-2008, 06:40 PM
Just a quick update.
I went out much earlier this morning & was sitting befor light. I could hear the birds in the trees (300-400 yards away). Soon they started to fly down from the roost and hens started first to cackle then the toms started but they went the wrong way. so I waited for more birds, they usually come from farther up the vally but none showed. I had to get to work so back to the truck & down the road. I went over a cattle guard and the tires went "tunk, tunk, tunk" as I passed over. Sure enough a tom gobbled. I stopped quick. He and his buddy were 5 yards off the road behind a bush. AND ON FENCED & POSTED LAND. Crap !!! They looked at me. I looked at them and theyslowly walked away. The biggest tom had a beard atleast 7" long. Not huge but I would have been happy with him in the back of the truck. Im back out Saturday. More updates to come. Good luck and if you get one post the pics.

300H&H
04-16-2008, 06:43 PM
Good times, 3. Thanks for the update, its been on my mind to head out, but figured too early for struttin action.

I have not heard of many turkeys around Vernon. No jokes please. Have you seen any ?

finish
04-16-2008, 06:53 PM
Cranbrook tommorrow, Turkeys will die!!!! But, knowing my luck, I'll see nothing but Bull Elk and a ton O deer!!!

boxhitch
04-16-2008, 09:44 PM
I have not heard of many turkeys around Vernon. No jokes please. Have you seen any ?Not up this way, but I would head closer to Ktown, maybe Postill Lk Rd ?

huntwriter
04-19-2008, 08:30 AM
Moral of this story..."go to Save On Foods, the turkeys are easyer to get".


No need for that.
Next time try to set up where a tom has to walk within shooting range to see your decoy. Such set ups can be around a corner of a wood lot, just below a ridge or any other spot where an approaching tom has no direct view of your decoy set up from a long distance. My favorite set ups are places where I can’t see more than 40 yards. What good is it if I can see a tom 100 yards away where he can see me too and won’t come any closer.

A few years ago when some hunters here said that turkey hunting is like shooting fish in a barrel I commented with; “Wait a year or two when the BC turkeys wise up to hunting pressure. As the turkeys here in BC gain more experience with hunters they become very wary of calling and decoys."


A tom that comes to investigate calls and decoys will be all ears and eyes if he can see a hen standing sixty or more yards away and she doesn’t move he will be very suspicious. Suspicious toms hang up and wait the situation out. Real turkeys move constantly, a motionless bird just isn’t natural to a tom, especially a lovesick hen sweet-talking and not moving.


On my turkey hunting website (http://wildturkeyfever.blogspot.com/2008/03/creating-realistic-illusion.html) I wrote an article with tips on how to make turkey calling and decoy set ups appear natural to a tom.


Try this trick and you will have more luck.;)

Sharkey
04-19-2008, 08:39 AM
Cranbrook tommorrow, Turkeys will die!!!! But, knowing my luck, I'll see nothing but Bull Elk and a ton O deer!!!

Was just in Cranbrook 2 weeks ago and that's all we saw - just standing around on the side of the highway and in fields. Lots of Elk, and TONS of deer. Buggers....

model88
04-19-2008, 09:46 AM
Buddy of mine went out last week, heard a few toms gobblin from the roost. Headed their way, cackled a few times. Long story short 2 hours and about a mile later he shot his first turkey, had an 8" beard. I think he is hooked:wink:

88

300H&H
04-19-2008, 07:06 PM
Congrats to your buddy on his turkey.
I hoped to get out today but when I woke up this morning @ 3:15am it was snowing hard. I really thought we were done with winter. Im going to try again tommorrow. Godd luck all.

model88
04-19-2008, 08:19 PM
Gunna head out on tuesday, hopefully my 6 year old can sit still long enough if we get into them. Where my buddy was he said there where lots of birds.

300H&H
04-20-2008, 03:41 PM
Well I did get out today.
It seams the turkeys have gotten together and have chossen to make my life misserable. They are staying on privet land and dont seam to want to come into my calling. They are gobbling so I can find them, just not shoot them, YET. I did find a small area of crown land beside the posted land so Im going to try again this week when every other hunter should be working. Thats a HINT guys. STAY HOME !!! I did call and had 6 different toms call back so I think the best is yet to come.

On the up side I did see a HUGE LYNX. I go within 30' of him and watched him slowly walk away. Very cool.

Marmo+
04-21-2008, 11:13 AM
Went out Fri, Sat, Sun near grand forks and Christina Lake. A few spots. Saw one jake and a hen, had a few calls answered with yelps but no toms in sight and heard no gobbling. The hen followed us around like a dog for over 2 hours. She would chase after us, sit next to us and purr when we set up. bumped into a few guys who were saying this year so far is much slower. Maybe too cold out still for the heat to really turn up in turkey town?

mark4
05-04-2008, 12:36 PM
300 H&H, You are determined to get a turkey- that is cool !! There is no doubt that you bag more turkey's when you are out in the woods -as opposed to sleeping in LOL. I went through the same frustrating stuff you went through, but something WILL give eventually, keep hunting hard, getting up early and you will have your gobbler - It sounds like you are onto a pretty good spot- there is still time !!!

300H&H
05-04-2008, 04:13 PM
Thanks mark4.
I have spent alot of time this year doing my homework and then getting out to hunt for my tom. Since my last post Ive been out 3 more times. Each time we/me get VERY close. Some times within 50 yards and I can hear the hens purr and give soft little clucks. When they are that close and a tom lets out a big gobble its very hard to sit still. But my set up just is not quit right. Either the birds are on the ridge above me or they are just inside posted land (happens alot) or a road hunter stops close to my set up and gives a horable locator call and the birds shut up and move on.
The last time out Dad & I heard atleast 9 different toms plus some hens but they were quieter. We moved to a different place and we heard a bunch of hens so I'll try that spot next.
You are right. You must get out & put in your time to get a bird. After opening week they smarten up fast.
We did see 1 yote, and 76 deer (just 1 buck). Dad had a great time. Im lucky to beable to pay him back for all he has passed on to me.
Now...if the turkeys will only cooperate.